Smoking and Tobacco

Smoking

11/13/2006

Question:

Is there a law to ban cigarette selling?

Answer:

The only law against cigarette selling I am aware of is selling to minors (those persons under 18); this may vary by state. In Ohio, people may be required to show identification to purchase tobacco products.

Unless accompanied by a parent, spouse of 18 or older, or legal guardian, no child under the age of 18 is to:

use, consume, or possess cigarettes or other tobacco products;

order or pay for cigarettes or other tobacco products;

accept or receive cigarettes or other tobacco products; or

provide false information for the purpose of obtaining cigarettes or other tobacco products."

Other good websites are:

www.standohio.org

and

www.ohio.gov (then search for tobacco or cigarettes) The following is from the ohio.gov website:

"Petro Signs Agreement With Chevron To Reduce Tobacco Sales To Minors

June 15, 2006

COLUMBUS - Attorney General Jim Petro today announced that he has joined the Attorneys General of 30 other states and the District of Columbia in an agreement with Chevron Products Company, one of the nation’s largest oil companies with approximately 9,100 retail outlets in 32 states and Washington, D.C., under which Chevron will implement new procedures to reduce sales of cigarettes to minors.

The agreement requires that Chevron implement comprehensive youth prevention tobacco retailing practices at each of its company owned stores. Chevron will also take a number of steps to prevent youth access to tobacco at its franchise outlets in signing states, including providing annual notices about the importance of complying with youth access laws, requiring franchisees to report violations to the corporate office, and modifying franchise agreements to provide that violations of youth access laws could constitute grounds for termination or non-renewal of the franchise agreement.

"We will continue to encourage corporations to take responsibility for their marketing practices," Petro said. "Underage consumers should not be the target demographic for what we know to be a health risk."

The Chevron "Assurance of Voluntary Compliance" (AVC) is the tenth such agreement produced in an ongoing, multi-state enforcement effort. Previous agreements cover all 7-Eleven, CVS, Wal-Mart, Walgreens, and Rite Aid stores, and all gas stations and convenience stores operating under the Conoco, Phillips 66 or 76, Exxon, Mobil, BP, Amoco, and ARCO brand names, in the signing states. Combined, the agreements cover about 70,000 retail outlets across the nation.

Launched in 2000, the enforcement effort by the Attorneys General seeks to secure national retailers’ agreement to take specific corrective actions to prevent sales of tobacco products to minors. State laws prohibit such sales. The agreements incorporate "best practices" to reduce sales to minors, developed by the Attorneys General in consultation with researchers and state and federal tobacco control officials."

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